Mary Ann Glendon, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See in 2008, discusses the political state of the world in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was conceived and adopted by the UN. The UDHR was adopted on December 10, 1948 by the UN General Assembly with zero votes against the document.

On December 10, 1948 Mr. H. V. Evatt, the President of the UN General Assembly, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with 48 votes in favor of the document, zero votes against, and 8 abstentions. The drafters were Dr. Charles Malik (Lebanon), Alexandre Bogomolov (USSR), Dr. Peng-chun Chang (China), René Cassin (France), Eleanor Roosevelt (US), Charles Dukes (United Kingdom), William Hodgson (Australia), Hernan Santa Cruz(Chile) and John P. Humphrey (Canada).

Eleanor Roosevelt addresses the UN General Assembly about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and shares her hopes for the future of the document. On December 10, 1948 the UN adopted the UDHR at Palais de Chaillot, Paris.

Stéphane Hessel, an observer of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, comments on the success of the international document and explains the long road ahead of the human race to achieve equal rights for all. The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948 at Palais de Chaillot, Paris.

Maude Barlow discusses the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth, a document adopted by the UN General Assembly that she hopes will become a companion document to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UDHR was adopted on December 10, 1948 by the United Nations and lists 30 articles of Human Rights.

Eric Foner, author of Give Me Liberty! An American History, shares his thoughts on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and discusses the importance of the international effort. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948.